I 20 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[August  i,  1892. 
TEA  AND  COFFEE  IN  BURMA. 
We  are  glad  to  see  that,  the  Government  is  about 
to  make  another  attempt  to  encourage  the  cultivation 
of  tea  and  coffee  in  Burma.  Experiments  have  been 
made  in  the  l'enasserim  division  and  in  other  portions 
oi  Lower  Burma,  but  the  results  which  nave  attended 
them  are  not  so  satisfactory  as  to  attract  private  en- 
terprise to  any  great  extent.  On  the  other  hand, 
however,  the  c'ffee  plantations  near  Touugoi  have 
been  attended  with  sucoess  sufficient  to  guarantee  the 
prosperity  of  more  ambitious  efforts  in  the  same 
direction.  This  time  it  is  the  high  ground  aud  the 
hills  on  tho  Upper  Irrawaddy  beyond  Bhamo  which 
the  Government  offers  for  the  cultivation  of  tea  aud 
coffee.  The  Burma  Gazette  publishes  come  corres- 
pondence which  has  passed  between  the  Deputy  Com- 
missioner of  Bhamo  and  the  Deputy  Couservator  of 
Forests  and  the  Commissioner  of  the  Northern  division 
on  the  prospects  of  the  cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee 
in  the  JBhamo  District.  The  Deputy  Conservator, 
who  should  be  a pretty  accurate  judge  on  the  snbjeot, 
is  of  opinion  that  the  cultivation  of  both  tea  and 
coffee  would  be  successful  in  portions  of  the  District 
which  he  names.  The  land  on  the  lower  ranges  of 
hills  betweeu  Bhamo  and  Shwegu  and  in  the  Upper 
Defile  is  very  suitable,  for  the  cultivation  of  tea  ; 
and  for  the  cultivation  of  both  tea  and  coffee  the 
higher  banks  of  the  Irrawaddy  anywhere  above 
fiord-level,  and  the  undulating  ground  between 
Fort  A.  and  Shwekvina  are  very  suitable  pLcos.  The 
Deputy  Conservator  further  says  that  tea  is  grown  in 
nearly  all  Kacliiu  villages  and  seems  to  flourish.  The 
Deputy  Commissioner  does  not  venture  to  offer  an 
opinion  as  to  the  success  of  the  experiment,  but  he 
suggests  that  it  would  be  advisable  to  throw  open  for 
cultivation  only  those  tracts  whioh  are  near  lines  of 
communication,  three  of  which  he  mentions.  These 
tracts  are  mentioned,  also,  by  the  Deputy  Conservator. 
The  tracts  all  he  on  the  river  and  are  easily  accessible 
by  boat  or  launch  : communication  by  land  is  imprac- 
ticable. This  is  a seusible  suggestion.  Those  who 
undertake  the  cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee  do  so  for 
the  purpose  only  of  making  it  a profitable  investment 
to  themselves,  and  however  successful  plantations 
may  turn  out  in  the  direction  of  the  plants  flourishing 
and  the  crops  being  abundant,  it  there  are  almost  iu- 
surmountible  difficulties  in  the  na,  of  conveying  the 
produce  to  the  markets,  and  if  conveyance  is  very  slow 
and  expensive,  it  is  very  improbable  that  Ihe  invest- 
ment will  attract  private  enterprise.  When  the  culti- 
vation of  tea  and  coffee  his  been  started  on  an  extea- 
sive  scale,  it  is  probable  that  easy  communication 
by  land  will  be  made  as  the  area  of  cultivation  extends, 
but  for  the  present  at  least  it  certainly  would  be  wise 
for  planters  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  tracts  which 
are  easily  get-at-able  by  water. 
Another  consideration  is  that  as  provisions 
must  all  be  imported,  there  beiDg  absolutely 
nothing  to  be  had  on  the  spot,  it  is  imperative 
that  communication  with  Bhamo  should  be  easy. 
The  scarcity  of  labour  is  another  drawbaok  whioh 
has  to  be  considered.  The  Kachins  have  no  love 
for  work,  and  both  the  Commissioner  and  the  Deputy 
Commissioner  are  of  opinion  that  labour  will  have  to 
be  imported.  This,  we  fear,  will  be  a greater  draw- 
baok  than  want  of  practicable  laud  communications, 
but  it  is  not  insurmountable.  The  question  is,  where 
could  labour  be  imported  from  ? Shau  labourers 
might  be  induced  to  emigrate  to  the  Kachin  hills, 
or  even  labour  might  be  brought  from  India  ; but 
in  the  latter  cace  the  plantations  would  have  to  be 
very  successful  indeed  to  make  it  pay  the  planters 
to  import  Indian  coolies.  But  we  do  not  see  why  the 
Kachins  should  not  be  trained  if  some  pains  are  taken 
with  them.  They  ore  not  unaccustomed  to  the 
cultivation  of  tea — it  is  grown  more  or  less  in  every 
Kachin  village — aud  we  are  Bure  that  if  sufficient 
inducements  are  offered  by  planters,  the  Kachius  will 
come  from  even  remote  parts  to  work  on  the  tea  and 
coffee  estates.  In  advertising  the  land  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  tea  and  coffee  the  Commissioner  recommends 
that  the  Government  should  be  cautions.  We  do  not 
think  that  this  suggestion  is  influenced  by  any  belief 
that  the  land  may  turn  out  to  be  unsuitable  for  the 
cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee,  but  is  a natural  pre- 
caution, considering,  as  the  Commissioner  says,  the 
suitability  of  the  clima  e and  soil  has  not  been 
established  by  experimental  cultivalion, — which  the 
Government  must,  in  its  own  interests,  take  to  save 
itself  from  liability  in  the  event  of  concessionaires, 
who  have  been  ut.successf nl,  claiming  damages  on 
tho  plea  that  they  have  been  led  into  the  venture 
by  the  delusive  hopes  held  cut  by  the  Govern- 
ment. The  loial  Government  has  bad  one  ex- 
perience at  least  in  this  direction  in  the  matter  of 
granting  concessions  in  Upper  Burma.  It  is  honest  at 
Last  for  the  Government  to  oiler  no  opinion  as  to  the 
suitability  or  otherwise  of  the  foil  aud  climate  lor 
cultivation,  and  intending  concessionaires  of  land  will 
be  now  on  their  guard  and  satisfy  them  elves  on  these 
points  first  before  embarking  in  the  venture.  We 
think  the  Government  however,  might  render  a great 
deal  of  assistance  by  making  the  necessary  experiments 
under  the  auspices  of  ihe  Forest  Department.  As  we 
have  stated  over  and  over  again,  there  are  many  pi  ices 
in  Burma  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  tea  and  coffee, 
and  if  it  is  widely  advertised  that  the  Government  is 
willing  to  make  liberal  concessions  of  l*nd,  the  influx 
of  private  enterprise  will  follow  as  a in-. ter  of  course. 
— Rangoon  Times , July  2. 

At  last  the  Government  has  passed  orders  on 
the  scheme  of  Agricultural  Schools  and  Farma 
for  the  Madras  Presidency,  and  indicated  the  lines 
on  whioh  they  should  be  started.  As  already 
stated,  five  districts  will  be  chosen  in  which 
farm-sohools  will  be  opened,  and  in  each  a plot 
of  ground  for  an  experimental  and  demonstratiocal 
farm  will  be  selected  and  acquired.  . The  sohools 
will  accommodate  about  80  soholars  eaob,  and  will 
be  exclusively  reserved  for  the  practical  and 
theoretical  teaching  of  agriculture  and  veterinary 
scienoe,  on  the  model  of  the  College  of  Agricluture, 
but  on  a small  scale,  the  neoessary  knowledge  in 
other  subjeots  being  secured  by  fixmg  a certain 
test  of  general  educational  qualifications  before 
entrance.  The  curriculum  at  tne  farm-schools  will 
extend  to  four  years.  As  regards  the  location  of 
the  schools,  the  Government  has  seleoted  the  three 
districts  of  Coimbatore,  Godavari,  and  Bellary,  and 
has  asked  the  Directors  of  Agriculture  and  Public 
Instruction  to  offer  further  suggestions  regarding 
the  districts  and  places  to  be  selected  for  the 
remaining  two  sohools, — Indian  Agriculturist, 
June  Uth. 
Tea  in  Foochow. — Concurrent  with  the  Feast  of 
Dragons  we  have  had,  as  usual,  a freshet  on  the 
river,  and  the  surrounding  low-lying  country  flooded, 
but  there  has  been  nothing  abnormal  in  the  height 
to  which  the  water  has  risen  iu  the  immediate 
neighbourhood.  Aooounts  reach  us,  however,  of  a 
very  different  state  of  things  higher  up  the  river, 
where  the  rains  appear  to  have  been  very  heavy. 
At  Yenping  Fu  the  rise,  above  highwater  mark, 
is  reported  to  have  been  as  much  as  thirty  feet; 
A passing  courier,  carrying  official  despatches, 
reports  the  loss  of  life  and  property  to  have  been 
very  great,  the  extraordinary  rising  having  oome 
upon  the  people  very  suddenly  and  unexpectedly. 
Two  boats  laden  with  .tea,  containing,  it  is  said, 
1,000  half-chests,  were  smashed  to  pieces  passing 
through  the  rapids  and  the  crews  drowned.  For 
three  days  the  traffic  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
river  was  stopped  altogether,  and  tho  new  tea  crop 
has  been  cheeked  in  arriving  in  consequence.  With 
all  these  aceounts  of  heavy  rains  up  country  it  is 
gratifying  to  know  that  they  did  not  commenoe 
until  after  the  first  crop  tea  had  been  picked  and 
packed,  so  that  our  supply,  as  seen  from  the 
musters,  is  free  from  any  weathery  condition,  as  it 
is  called,  complained  of  in  the  teas  at  one  of  the 
other  tea  ports. — Foochow  Echo,  June  4th, 
